Steam-trap.



11. H. PATERSON. STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED HA3. 9, 1907.

992,687. Patented May 16, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

rt-I: NORRIS prrsns cm. WASHINGTON, n. c.

R. H. PATERSON.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED m3. 9, 1-907. 1

Patented May 16, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m: NBRRTS RETERS 11. 11. PATERSON.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1907.

Patented May 16, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

THE M15 PETERS ca WASH Fig. 6 is UNITED STATES ROBERT HOWIE PATnRsoN,

OF EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

STEAM-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented May 16, 1911.

Application filed March 9, 1907. Serial No. 361,573.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT HOWIE PATER- soN, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Edinburgh, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to steam traps of the expansion type wherein a single expansion tube is used in conjunction with a tie rod. In this type of trap there is practically no reservoir for the steam and water, and the expansion tube serves as the discharge conduit for the water. This is disadvantageous because the trap blows ofi' or discharges at frequent intervals due to the water being free to enter the expansion tube immediately, and in consequence wear is excessive. A further disadvantage accrues to this form of trap owing to the disposition of the rod not lending itself to readyadjustment to meet the setting of the trap to different working pressures.

The object of my invention is to avoid these drawbacks, and accordingly I employ a reservoir into which the steam and water are led to have access to an expansion tube (which may consist of one tube, or of a plurality of tubular sections jointed together and so constituting a compound tube) wherein they circulate and return to the reservoir, whence the water is discharged through a valve operated by the contraction and expansion of the tube under the influence of a tie rod or other equivalent means or devices (or it may be a number of rods or devices) the rod or device being adapted to be adjusted in length or position to easily effect the variation of the pressure at which the trap is set to work. Therefore a trap embodying my invention differs materially from the known constructions in asmuch as the expansion tube is quite independent of the discharge outlet of the trap and forms no part of the discharge conduit thereof.

In the accompanying drawings Figures 1, 2 and 3 show one form of my invention, 'Fig. 1 being a longitudinal central section through the trap, Fig. 2 an end elevation and Fig. 3 a plan view thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail view in longitudinal section of another modification. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a further modification of the invention. a view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section of another form of steam trap embodying my improve ments. Fig. 7 shows a transverse section thereof on the line Z-Z of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail view in longitudinal section of, another modification, and Fig. 9 is a similar View of another form of the invention. Fig. 10 shows a longitudinal central section of still another modification. Fig. 11 shows an elevation of one end of the apparatus shown in Fig. 10, and Fig. 12 shows an end elevation of the opposite end thereof.

I will now explain one form of trap embodying my invention and subsequently I will indicate how it may be modified in sundry ways, and this I will do with the aid of the accompanying drawings to which I will refer as the occasion requires.

First, then, as to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 which are, respectively, a side sectional elevation, an end elevation, and a plan of the said form. In this example, for the steam and water reservoir I employ a box a somewhat in the form of the letter L, the horizontal portion 6, however, being much longer than the vertical portion 0. On the horizontal portion 6 I furnish feet (Z for conveniently supporting the trap. At the end of the box where the vertical portion 0 is located I make a hole 6 more or less central with the horizontal portion 6 and to this hole I-connect, as at f, the steam and water inlet pipe 9, carrying it well along the portion 6 of the box a whereby the complete draining thereof is insured, as I will presently explain. At the other end of the box a and near the bottom thereof I make another hole It to form the outlet of the trap and to this hole I secure, as at z, a valve box 7', which as well as the valve 70, I will refer to hereafter.

i A simple expansion tube Z is situated above, and parallel or otherwise as regards, the horizontal portion 7) of the steam and water box a with which it is more or less coextensive. but of much less capacity. It is connected, as indicated at m, at one end to a hole at in the vertical portion 0 of the box a and thus its communication therewith is es tablished, while at the other end it is fitted,

as at 0, into a block p which closes it.-

Above the tube Z and either parallel to it or, as illustrated, at an angle declining from the vertical portion 0 of the box a, an ad- 1 justable tie rod 9 is arranged, one end being fixed to the said block p, as at r, and the other end rounded and inserted in a groove or recess 8 in the wall of the vertical portion 0 of the box (4 whereby a slight movement of the rod Q is permitted to accommodate its adjustment. This rod is constructed in two parts If and a whose adjacent ends are screwed oppositely and coupled together by a correspondingly threaded sleeve 1) suitably adapted for convenient operation. Thus the rod Q may be easily lengthened or shortened to, respectively, increase or decrease the pressure at which the trap is set to work.

The end of the tube Z and of the rod 9 adjoining the valve box are prevented from undue lateral movement by a fork or guide to provided on the steam and water box a.

The block 29 to which the tube Z and rod (1 are secured is provided with an arm as for the reception of an adjusting screw 3 for operating the valve spindle a which projects from the valve box j, and which is fluted at the lower end, as at 1, to permit the discharge. The screw y affords an easy means of setting the trap to the desired working pressure. The valve 76 is of the ball kind, consequently the spindle 2 is not connected to it but is merely adapted to contact with it. The valve 7:, which is disposed in a cage-like portion 2 of a removable seating 3, is arranged to be normally held closed by the pressure in the steam and water box (4, therefore, to open it, it is depressed; and the inlet 4: of the discharge pipe 5 is situated above it. For preventing damage to the valve in the event of it be ing unduly depressed from any circumstance, a cushion is disposed below it. This comprises an aperture 6 at the base of the valve box j closed by a plug 7 between which and a superposed movable piece 8, shaped at its upper face to the contour of the valve is, a spring 9 is disposed. Therefore if the valve In is over-operated and thereby forced upon the movable piece 8, the latter is depressed against the spring 9 and thus no harm accrues to the valve.

Now assuming the trap is in operation, briefly the action is as follows :IVater and steam flow into the box a and in time the water more or less fills it and rises toward, or may even enter and fill, the expansion tube Z which is thereby contracted, whereupon, through the medium of the tie rod q, the adjusting screw l and the valve spindle 2, the valve 70 is depressed and the discharge from the steam and water box a commences and continues, until steam enters the box a again thereby producing the expansion of the tube Z and the consequent closing of the valve is. The water is practically completely discharged before the valve 70 is closed due to the arrangement of the steam and water inlet pipe 9, since it, by being extended well into the box a, delays the access of the steam to the expansion tube Z and consequently the premature closing of the valve is. Hence it will be seen the blow ofis or discharges of the trap are considerably reduced in number as compared with current practice and therefore the wear on the parts is reduced to a minimum; and also that ready adjustment of the working pressure can be effected at any time. Further, it will be noted that when the steam supply is cut off from the pipe system the trap valve is falls and the system is drained.

Now as to modifications which are shown in the remaining figures (viz. Fig. & onward) and wherein the reference letters and numerals used in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are also applied, and, in consequence, if they are not referred to specifically with regard to the particular figures, it will be understood what they denote has been explained pre viously.

For obtaining an increased opening of the valve 7': I may combine with it and the block p at the end of the expansion tube Z and tie rod 9, an appropriate lever system which, in one form as illustrated in fragmentary side sectional elevation in Fig. at, may comprise a lever 10 centered at an intermediate point 11 in a bracket 12 on the steam and water box a and pivoted, as at 13, at one end to the block 79 in a fork 14 provided on the latter instead of the arm {3 aforesaid, while its other end projects toward the valve spindle 2 where it is provided with an operating adjusting screw y. In this form, as well as in the previous one, the tie rod 9 may, as represented, be disposed below the expansion tube Z, declining or not from the block 79 with its ends arranged as before. Again, instead of the tie rod q being fixed to the block 79 and movably connected to the box a, the reverse arrangement may be adopted; or both ends may be fixed.

I have explained the use of a ball valve 70, but, of course, any type and arrangement of valve may be adopted. One form is typified in fragmentary side sectional elevation in Fig. 5. Here the valve 70 is represented of the slide type, its face co-acting, as indicated at 15, with an adjacent face on the removable seating 3, which and its adjuncts are the same as those shown in Figs. 1 and 2 subject to necessary and obvious modifications to meetthe adaptation. Further, I have described the valve 70 as opening downwardly, butit may be arranged to open upwardly, this being simply attained by reversing the positions of the tube Z and rod g--that is to say by arranging the tube Z above the rod and combining a spring or other means with them tending to keep the valve is closed against the pressure in the steam and water box a.

As a substitute for a simple or single straight expansion tube Z I may, as repre- .sented in side sectional elevations in Fig. 6

shaped tube Z, connecting the free ends to the steam and water box a as illustrated at m, m,

in Fig. 6, and the bend 16 to the block 70 adjoining the valve box j. In this case the block g) is made in two sections 17 and 18 between which the bend 16 is secured when the parts are assembled by set screws 19, 19 and 19 engaging the sections 17 and 18, the latter of which, as best depicted in Fig. 7, is furnished with an extension 20 fitting between the lateral parts of the'tube Z, and thereby insuring a good connection. Fig. 6 also shows a modification of the construction of the box a to meet the connection of the tube Z to the vertical portion 0 thereof. According to it the outer end of the box consists of a cover 21 fixed by studs 22 to the body. The hole 6 for the pipe 9 is made in the cover 21. Further, a modified way of securing the rod 9 to the box a is represented, this consisting in pivoting it at 23 in a fork 24 on the box a. Again, instead of a simple expansion tube Z, I may, as shown in fragmentary side sectional elevation in Fig. 8, employ a compound tube comprising a num berof straight expansion tubes 25 and 26 each having the same co-efiicient of expansion. Each tube is connected, as at m, m as in Fig. 6, at one end to the vertical portion 0 of the steam and water box a and at the other end, as at 0, to a box 27 secured to, or, as shown, formed in the said block p. The figure under notice also illustrates an alternative way of securing the tie rod q. Here, as indicated at 28, one end is passed right through the block 9 and secured by nuts thereby providing for its adjustability, while the other end is pivoted at 23 in a fork 2 1 on the vertical portion 0 of the steam and water box a after the manner represented in Fig. 6.

In both the forms just explained a flowand-return system is obtained which may be necessary or desirable in some instances.

Instead of one end of the rod 9 abutting against the vertical portion 0 of the steam and water box a it may, as shown in fragmentary side sectional elevation in Fig. 9,

bear on a bracket or lug 29 disposed at an intermediate point thereof, and in this way the length of the rod 9 can be materially reduced which may be desirable in some cases. The end of the rod is rounded and the adjacent face of the bracket is hollowed out as shown at s in practically the way illustrated in Fig. 1 to permit the movement of the rod. The arrangement of the tube Z above the rod 9 is also represented in Fig. 9. There may, of course, be two or more rods 9 or devices in one trap, the number being dependent on circumstances. Lastly, in place of employing a rod 9 or other device in combination with the expansion tube Z, I may construct the tube Z to effect the dual purpose, one way being to make it in halves of different co-efiicients of expansion. This is illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 whereof Fig. 10 is a side sectional elevation, Fig. 11 is an elevation at the left hand end thereof, and Fig. 12 is an elevation at the opposite end. These figures, also, showsome modification in the arrangement of the steam and water pipe 9 and of the valve is; further, they illustrate means for directing the steam'to the pipe Z and for directing the fiow of the water from the horizontal portion Z) of the box a to the vertical portion 0.

The expansion tube Z is constituted and fixed along with the box 27 in the way illustrated in Fig. 8 excepting that instead of the tubes 25 and 26 being of the same material, they are of different materials, the tube 25 being of, say, iron and thus being the equivalent of the tie rod 9 in the other examples, while the other tube 26 is of brass or the like. Consequently, owing to the co-efiicients of expansion differing, the block 39 is moved to operate the valve is as in the other constructions, the discharge taking place when the box a and the tubes 25 and 26 are full of water.

The steam and water pipe 9 is in two parts 30 and 31 each of which is screwed into the hole 6 made in a boss 32 on the cover 21 of the box a which is constructed as in Fig. 6. The ends of these parts 30 and 31 do not abut, but a space 33 is left between them, which space forms part of a passage 34 formed in the cover 21 and lead ing to the level of the tube 25 (or it might only be to tube 26) toward the adjacent end of which it is directed nozzle-fashion as indicated at 35. Therefore, when the trap is discharging, immediately steam passes along the component 30 of the pipe 9 it, or some of it, finds ingress into, or toward, the component 25 of the expansion tube Z through the space 33 and passage 34 whereby the block 79 is operated to at once close the valve is.

The free end of the component 31 of the pipe 9 is also bent downward as at 36 with the object of keeping it longer sealed by the water so as to insure a complete discharge; while the flow of the hotter water from the horizontal portion 6 of the box a into the vertical portion 0 is-hindered by a partition or diaphragm 37 provided at the junction of such portions 72 and 0 and restricting the passage 38 between the said portions thereby rendering the action of the trap more positive.

The valve is and its adjuncts are the same as those shown in Fig. 5 excepting that the cushion comprising the parts 8 and 9 aforesaid are replaced by a couple of springs 39 and whose chief function is to assist the pressure in the box a to close the valve is after a discharge. As shown in Figs. 10 and 12, the springs 39 and 40 are arranged outside the valve box j, one at each side of the block 72 with one end secured by a screw ll to the block and the other to a pin 42 fastened to the valve spindle 2.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A steam trap comprising a reservoir having a water discharge port, a normally closed valve controlling it, a yielding cushion receiving said valve when itis opened, a thermostatic member to which steam and water are admitted from the reservoir and which returns the same thereto and means operated by the thermostatic member for actuating the valve.

2. A steam trap comprising a reservoir having a water discharge port, a valve controlling it, an expansible tube to which steam and water are admitted from the reservoir and which returns the same thereto, an adjustable tie-rod hinged at one end and connected with the tube and devices connected with the tube for actuating the valve.

3. A steam trap comprising a reservoir having a water discharge port, a normally closed valve controlling it, an expansible tube to which steam and water are admitted from the reservoir and which returns the same thereto, a block carried by said tube, a tie rod also connected with the block, means for varying the length of the rod, and means carried by the block for actuating the valve.

4. A steam trap comprising a reservoir having a water discharge port, a normally closed valve controlling it, an expansible tube to which steam and water are admitted from the reservoir and which returns the same thereto, a block carried by said tube, a tie rod also connected with the block, means for varying the length of the rod, means carried by the block for actuating the valve, and a spring cushion for the valve.

5. A steam trap, comprising a reservoir having a water discharge port near its lower end, an admission pipe for steam and water extending well into the reservoir, a valve normally held closed by fluid pressure and which controls said discharge port, a thermostatic expansible member to which steam and water are admitted from the reservoir and which returns the same thereto, and a valve spindle operated by the thermostatic member for opening the valve.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ROBERT HOVIE PATERSON.

WVitnesses JAMES ANDREW, WALTER CHowLEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

